Curtain Call Top

I really want to make this shirt from Anthropologie:

Isn't it nice? Very pretty. I love the ruffles and the drapey parts.

I've got an idea on how to make it. I must get a white t-shirt first.

I will share the tute when it's done.

No-Sew Pencil Case Tutorial

I need a new pencil case, because the knitted one I have has no lining and needs a proper closure. So, ingredients:

-one ziploc bag

-scissors

-stapler

-tape

-comics/magazine

1. So first, put a picture or comic inside your bag. Make sure it fits, and leave enough room between the zipper and the image, at least 3/8".

2. Now cut the zipper off of the bag, leaving at least 3/8" plastic remaining on the zipper. You should have something that looks like this. (see how the zipper has some plastic on it?)

3. Fold your plastic bag with the image inside in half. You should now have something that looks like a flat pencil case (or at the very least, a plastic bag with an image inside folded in half).

4. Your mother might, at this point, throw away your zipper while you are at school, due to the fact that she thinks you cut it off for a reason. So cut one off of the plastic bag holding that 2 month old pack of graham crackers (don't be surprised if a cloud of dust forms from the crumbs... or if you're unlucky, they might not be crumbs at all). Wash it VERY VERY well.

5. Now staple your zipper on. If you can't reach the far corners of the bag like me, use tape.

6. Use clear packing tape to seal the sides, and place your school supplies inside... or your candy or band-aids or buttons... or just about anything. Enjoy! Happy Thanksgiving!

Plastic Bottle Flower Tutorial

Yesterday I went with my mom to a nursing home to visit, and one nice lady, named Gloria, taught me how to make a flower out of a plastic bottle. She was doing art projects with the seniors. I kind of liked the flowers even without the paint, but they were nice painted, too. I liked it with gold paint. In the middle of class today I took someone's empty water bottle and used my (safety) scissors to make myself a flower. Everyone kept saying, "Whoa! That's so cool. Is that, like, an octopus?" To which I responded, "I guess. It's supposed to be a flower." Everyone told me to put a candle inside, or some candy for Christmas. I like the candy idea. Maybe some Lindor chocolates... Nom, nom, nom. For your viewing pleasure, I used scrapbooking paper for background. Oh, and when I refer to 'line,' I'm talking about those creases on the bottle. You know, the lines that wrap all the way around the bottle?

1. Starting from the top, move down one line on the bottle and cut it. You now have something that looks like the pic above. I'll call it the top half.

2. Now mark three lines up on the bottom piece. Cut one long line down till you reach your mark and stop. Cut six more lines so you have a kind of fringe. Cut these into tapering triangles, like petals. You will have 6 petals.

3. Now stuff your top half (with the cap that you made in the first step) into the bottom half--the one with all the petals that you made in step two. Now spray paint it, put some candy inside, and stuff the top half back on. If the top half doesn't fit, then cut some notches into the bottom, and cram it together. Now stuff with candy and give out for Christmas.

I suppose in these pictures they do kinda look like some mutant squids or octopi. But they're cool, nonetheless.

Cabled Hand Warmers

I've never done a real cable project. So I went over to the Hand knitted Things blog, and I learned how to knit a cable with this tutorial. I made another panel, and then sewed them together to make hand warmers.

Pattern

US 8 (5 mm) needles

Yarn

Cable Needle or DPN

So, the pattern says:

Cast on 14 stitches.
Row 1; Purl 4, Knit 6, Purl4.
Row 2; Knit 4, Purl6, Knit 4.
Row 3; as row 1.
Row 4; as row 3.
Row 5; Purl 4, C6F, Purl 4.

C6F:

1. Slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle,

2. Hold the cable needle in front of the work,
3. Knit the next 3 stitches from the left hand needle onto the right hand needle.
4. Then knit the stitches from the cable needle onto the right hand needle.

Cable till 7 inches. BO. Now, CO 14 sts and knit in St st till 7 inches. BO. Now sew the two panels together, leaving a gap for a thumbhole.

Stanford Splash

I just got back from Stanford Splash. It was really fun. I had the classes Taiko and Sewing with Electronics. I recommend both. For sewing, I made a circuit and attached it to a fabric dinosaur so the eye lights up. I plan on sewing it onto a t-shirt. For Taiko, we learned a song. It was really tiring. I was sweating like crazy.

Leg Warmer Pattern/Tutorial

I had a ball of LB Homespun in a bag, hanging on the closet door, waiting for something to happen to it. So I knit myself some leg warmers. Did you know that November is novel-writing month? At least that's what my friend in science said. I am working on my novel write now. Sorry, right now. Okay, so, here's the pattern. Sorry for the bad pic. I was trying to turn the camera towards my leg, which was kinda hard.

Materials: 1 skein of Lionbrand Homespun yarn, size 10 needles (you could use circular, but I used straight)

CO 36 sts. Knit in k2 p2 ribbing for 1 inch. Knit in St st till piece is 12 inches long. Knit in k2 p2 ribbing for 2 more inches. BO. Seam.

Some lovely warm leg warmers! They are kind of big on me, but they are very warm and should fit an adult. These would make a great gift. Christmas is almost here!

Update on Halloween

Popcorn costume was a success. People loved it. They'd laugh and say stuff like, "I know what I'm going to be on Halloween next year" and "Oh! I love popcorn." Kids and adults would reach up and touch the popcorn on the box. Unfortunately, the glue wasn't dry. My sister had glued on the popcorn hours earlier, but it was still wet and the popcorn slid around. I put my hood up to avoid getting my hair greasy. Then suddenly, I felt someone clawing at my hood. I figured some kid was just feeling the popcorn--until my sister said, "Oh my gosh! He just ate it!" Which is when I whirled around and realized with a start that some kid had gotten some free popcorn, along with some (non-toxic) glue. Oh well. I got a lot of candy, at least.